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Magic (TUAU)
Magic is a supernatural force that can alter the fabric of reality at fundamental levels. Humans who are born with and practices magic are usually called "witches". However, aside from witches, there are many other magical beings that exist such as demons, warlocks, and whitelighters. Function Magic did not rewrite the laws of physics, but instead "works off physics"; adhering to the basic physical laws of nature. Consistent with the Law of Conservation, magical energy could not be created nor destroyed, but transferred with the help of a catalyst (for example, Kraken's tooth, skin of Draconis, ground up Baltic stones etc). The basic components to magic was the energy being transferred, the individual or objects transferring that energy and the specific actions involved that influenced the result of that energy's transfer. According to Rupert Giles, magic could be considered an exotic form of energy that could be disrupted, not unlike conventional energy. Interestingly, Willow compared the study of chemistry to witchcraft, claiming it was a lot like the latter, except only "less newt". According to Willow Rosenberg, magic was not only a means for changing reality, but also an essential aspect of life overall as it was responsible for the immaterial gratification experienced by everyday people (especially such things as art, love, music, poetry and even the will to live). Magical Energy Magical energy is the potent force that was channeled and manipulated for magical purposes, and often manifested during these moments as colorful plasma-like matter. This energy — when being extracted or absorbed — usually resembled bright electrical discharges, though its appearance varied between different spells. Magical energy is a key component in performing magic as this energy fueled the applications magic allowed and using too much magic at any given time would make the user lose that energy thereafter and thus limit their capacity to perform magic for a period of time, potentially requiring the user days to recuperate. Sourcing Energy In order for magic use to be accomplished, the user had to channel that energy from a source and exert it through themselves. While more experienced magic users could use the magical energy inside of them, magical energy usually needed to be drawn from external sources. These sources ranged from special artifacts (such as the Scythe), higher beings (like Yeska) which granted this power or even drawn from the Earth itself; which according to Rupert Giles was where the true essence of magic came from. Because the Earth acted as a conduit for magic, a person could draw this power anywhere on the planet as every being and every object was connected to the Earth, meaning that every person had at least a small sum of innate mystical energy. Willow was able to utilize this to quickly heal her wounds by simply mediating in her bedroom, though also needed the help of Buffy Summers to further accelerate the process. A more brutal instance occurred when Willow performed a portal spell using the combined life force of Kennedy and Anya Jenkins by forcibly pulling it from them. Certain spells could also cause a significant surge of power into the caster. An example of this includes the Ritual of Restoration performed by Willow Rosenberg, which Rupert Giles claimed that this could "open a door that that you Willow might not be able to close", meaning that this spell led her to becoming a powerful witch. Transferring Energy One way of gaining magical energy was through transferring it with other beings. It could be shared among other users, or forcibly taken. This usually required physical contact, but an exceptionally powerful practitioner could drain that energy without any contact and not only drain the energy without the other person knowing, but also decode it to manipulate as they wished. Draining too much energy from one user could kill or at least weaken them as it also drained their life force. Alternatively, one can drain another's magic in order to naturalize them. Willow was strongly opposed to it and compared it to cutting off someone's hand, while other witches considered it a form of mutilation. Magic users could also likewise give some of their own magical energy to others, shown when Amy transferred a portion of her energy to Willow via a spell. Absorbing unexpected bursts of magical energy can have unwanted effects, such as vomiting, one's eye color changing and unintentionally magically-affecting one's surroundings. Willow claimed that absorbing surplus amounts of magic gave a feeling of being over-energized which made it harder to control. Magic could also be transferred into a host for a limited time, as was the case with Rupert Giles, who had immense magical power bestowed upon him by a very powerful coven in England who then sent him to Sunnydale in an attempt to stop a rampaging Willow from destroying the world. Residual Energy When a person casts a spell, they are channeling magic through themselves and a portion of that magic remains within them. The magical energy was detectable by certain beings (such as Sweet and Rack) who could sense that energy from practitioners and could inform them of that person's magical power, including what spells they cast, the magnitude of their power, if that power was depleting and what they intended to do with it. Jonathan Levinson, who possessed some magical ability, could "practically feel" that Willow was running out of magicks, while Rack immediately knew that Amy Madison was previously a rat years after they last had contact, and a coven from Devonshire sensed the dangerous magical force Willow possessed fueled by her grief. Willow was so powerful that she could sense energy from another plane or deduce that some of Amy's spells "reeked" with tech and could trace back to where she teleported from. Willow and Giles were able to deduce the summoning of a storm dragon was a debilerate act from analyzing the energy infusing it. Casting powerful spells could exert a notable amount of energy that was capable of interfering with the casting of lesser spells and make the location of the casting susceptible to being discovered. The Twilight Group possessed technology that detected large amounts of magic usage, but it wasn't easy to pinpoint the exact origin of the energy as it was abundant in all magical beings (which encompass beings that were inherently magical, possessed magic, and/or used magic). Also, Giles used a lodstone to detect concentrations of magical energy within London. While all beings on Earth were connected to magic, beings like Slayers, Witches, and Werewolves (in their lupine form) possessed a greater concentration of energy. As this fact made the Slayer Organization more detectable to Twilight, they decided to withdraw their energy by practicing the tradition of Bon, which stated that a person could make their internal magical energy flow out of themselves and redirect it back into the Earth. They did this by performing hard labor on Oz's farm without using their super strength. This method also allowed werewolves, such as Oz, to control their lycanthropy. It was later revealed that they were actually redirecting their magic to a trio of earth-bound goddesses who protected the monastery in exchange (but eventually ended up attacking the Slayers due to their confusion). It was stated that it took many months for a person to completely clear themselves of magical energy. This was demonstrated when Willow successfully summoned the god Osiris without any tools or special preparations after months of not using any magic. Usage and Execution While in essence, the rudimentary process for using magic was simply drawing mystical energies and manipulating it for a desired effect, there were many factors involved that determined how successfully this energy can used and what it can be used for. Successful magic involved a combination of knowledge, power, resources and experience. Possessing an intricate mastery of these aspects could reduce the need for complex preparation and strengthen the individual's ability to preform powerful magicks without using as much time or effort but will and power alone. Methodology Practitioners of magic, commonly known as witches, warlocks, sorcerers, wizards, mystics, alchemists and shamans, employed a number of ways to perform magic. |-|Spells= See main article: Spells One of the defining characteristics of a magic is casting spells; a "spell" typically being the word used to signify the means employed to carry out a magical action. This allows users to magically alter reality to a wide number of effects or to evoke forces to change their surroundings. A spell could consist of ritual action, a set of words, a verse, or any combination of these. For reasons unknown, the majority of spells used by practitioners of witchcraft are spoken in Latin. |-|Potions= See main article: Potions A potion is a magical liquid brewed with certain magical ingredients, such as herbs, roots, animals and plants. Potions can be the main part of a magical working, or maybe used in conjunction with a spell. Potions are usually ingested, although occasionally this is not a requirement. |-|Powers= Magic can manifest as a specific supernatural ability or power (e.g. telekinesis, mind-reading, cryokinesis, freezing time and teleportation), which allows one to perform specific magical feats without the need of a spell or potion. Powers vary with every magical being; with witches they are usually a reflection of their personality. Powers are normally accessed by one's emotions, mind or instinct. Training and Potency With proper training, magic practitioners become capable of performing feats of magic through sheer will. These acts ranged from minor telekinesis, levitation, and glamours, which were suitable steps for inexperienced practitioners; to more complicated feats of transmogrification, conjuration, firing energy blasts and lightning bolts, and even flight, which could only be mastered by practitioners of a high-level of experience and power. Going beyond one's current limits posed a danger to themselves and others because they were invoking other-worldly forces. Some people, Willow Rosenberg for example, had a greater inherent talent for magic than others who had to work "twice as hard to be half as good". There also seemed to be a commonality between magical power and family heritage, particularly on the maternal side. For instance, both Tara Maclay and Amy Madison were powerful witches and both of them had mothers who were also adept at using magic (Xander Harris speculated that magical ability "runs in the family" after discovering Amy using magic). Having a natural talent for magic didn't necessarily guarantee that one would develop into a potent sorcerer. Giles originally repressed his talent as a young man, diminishing his ability to perform magic as he became older. When he was resurrected in his preteen body, his magical powers surpassed those in his previous life and stated that he had the opportunity to develop it further in this one. The Watcher's Council rated a magical practitioner's power and skill by a "magical proficiency level". Though how such a scale functioned was never explained. Deities and other Higher Beings Some advanced spells require the magic user to call upon deities and other higher beings as part of their incantations. Some of the higher beings that can be invoked are: *'Babalú-Ayé:' The Exorcism Ritual. *'The Moirai:' Invoking the Moirai spell. *'Temeluchus:' Tartarus Imprisonment spell. Other spells called upon demons such as Proserpexa. Whether these deities granted the practitioners wish was dependent on the situation. For example, Osiris refused to resurrect Tara Maclay since her death was caused by another human, which was either not his jurisdiction or beyond his power. Another instance included Hecate, who was known for her impatience, seemingly refused to de-rat Amy when Willow summoned her, even though Amy originally summoned Hecate to turn her into a rat, as Willow wasn't as powerful as Amy at the time. Also, the Davric Demon Yeska, falsely considered a goddess among wizards, granted them power on their 50th birthday in exchange for a virgin sacrifice. Universal and Moral Laws Although magic is considered amoral, it can have complications and some spells are subject to certain universal & moral laws. *'Emotional Spells:' If one uses magic to change the way a person feels about a specific person, they risk changing the way they feel about other things. *'Personal Gain:' Spells rely on a system of balance. So when magic is used for personal gain (e.g. say to wallow in the superficialities of the Greek system), there will be personal consequences. *'Resurrection Spells:' If one uses magic to bring someone back from the dead, there will be consequences like someone they love will die in order to restore the universal balance or worse they will absorb that person's death and will die themselves unless they return it or give it to someone else. *'Money Spells:' Spells to conjure currency generally frowned upon because the money has to come from somewhere, therefore the person casting the spell would be stealing. *'Reversing Spells:' Spells can only be reversed or counteracted with spell of equal or greater strength, however this doesn't always work. Limitations Category:The Ultimate Amalgamation Universe (TUAU)